Denver Broncos safety sent home from Super Bowl after being questioned in prostitution sting

A member of the Denver Broncos practice squad was sent home from the team's preparations for Super Bowl 50 late Tuesday after he was questioned by police in connection with a prostitution sting.

The Santa Clara Sheriff's Office confirmed that Ryan Murphy was briefly detained in connection with the sting at a Motel 6 near the San Jose International Airport. Spokesman Sgt. James Jensen said that Murphy was later released after it was determined that he was not involved.

"We decided it was best for the team if we continued our preparations for Super Bowl 50 without [Murphy]," Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said in a statement. "Ryan is returning to Denver but his status as a practice squad player has not changed at this time."

KPIX reported that authorities had set up a sting targeting an area of San Jose known for prostituition. Police detained a woman suspected of prositution, who told the officers she had to retrieve some items from a car parked at a nearby gas station. Murphy and his brother were sitting in the car.

The station reported that the woman and Murphy's brother were cited by police, but Murphy was not. The station also reported that the woman and Murphy's brother have a relationship, though the report did not elaborate further.

Jensen told the Denver Post that 10 men and 20 women have been cited as a result of various anti-prostitution sweeps by police.

An Oakland native, Murphy played college football at Oregon State and was a seventh-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks before he was cut this past September. The Broncos added him to their practice squad two months later.

The Broncos play the Carolina Panthers in Sunday's Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.